Fatal Search

Wilmington, DE: (Feb-27-08) The family of 18-year-old Peyton Strickland, brought a wrongful death lawsuit against New Hanover County and its Sheriff's Department, after the teen was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy in a bungled raid on the victim's home. The suit claimed that former Deputy Chris Long was part of that team when it tried to serve an arrest and search warrant at Strickland's home in December 2006. Strickland was a suspect in the theft of a Playstation 3 game from another UNCW student. Long stated that he confused the sound of a battering ram hitting the door for gunshots and shot through the door, hitting Strickland in the head. Long, a ten-year veteran of the force, was fired after the incident but cleared of any wrong doing by a grand jury.

As part of a settlement reached in the case, sources on both sides confirmed that the New Hanover County has agreed to pay $2.45 million to resolve the wrongful death lawsuit. Additionally, apart from the monetary payout, Sheriff Sid Causey also agreed to have a consultant come in to review the policies and procedures of the sheriff's emergency response team. Following the settlement the Stricklands said they have accepted the county's apology and plan to spend all $2.45 million on charities and a foundation in Strickland's name. [WWAY TV NEWS: FATAL SEARCH]

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Published on Feb-28-08